This verse takes up the thought of verse 6a and gives the reason for the statement made there. For a literal translation of the first half of this verse, see the Revised Standard Version: “for the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God.” But when Paul uses the word mind in such a context, he is referring to the entire person, who is considered God’s enemy. The Jerusalem Bible expresses this thought by “that is because to limit oneself to what is unspiritual is to be at enmity with God.” It is generally agreed that law in this verse must be understood in the widest sense possible and is therefore not limited to the Jewish Law in particular.

The clause when his mind is controlled by human nature may be best interpreted in some languages as condition—for example, “and so if a man thinks only about what his body wants, he becomes an enemy of God” or “… he fights against God.”

And in fact he cannot obey it is literally “neither is it (the mind) able.” Here also “mind” is equivalent to the entire person, and so appears in the Good News Translation as he. At the same time the Good News Bible makes explicit the meaning of “is not able”: cannot obey it (“God’s law”). The Jerusalem Bible translates: “never could … submit to God’s law.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .